Wire straightening apparatus



Feb. 13, 1945 WENNERBERG 2,369,329

' WIRE STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 12, 1943 ATTORA/[Y aligned openings l3.

Patented Feb. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,369,329 WIRE STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS August Wennerberg, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 12, 1943, Serial No. 505,906

4 Claims.

This invention relates to wire straightening apparatus and more particularly to a rotary type wire straightening apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and practicable apparatus for straightening advancing wire in an eflicient and rapid manner.

In attaining this object, there isprovided, in one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus comprising a pair of spaced coaxially arranged rotary tubular elements interconnected by a tubular member, in which is carried a circular bar having a radial slot terminating at its inner end in alignment with the apertures in the elements. Extending through the aligned apertures in the elements and the bar slot and fixed at opposite ends to the elements is a flexible tube, which is curved to sinusoidal-like shape into the bar slot by an adjustable screw engaging it laterally intermediate the elements and a pair of spaced shoes engaging the opposite side thereof at each side of the screw, one of the shoes being adjustable longitudinally of the tube whereby, upon releasing the adjacent end of the tube from the associated element and adjusting the screw, the amplitude of the curve in the flexible tube may be varied to suit the particular wire to be straightened. A pulley connected to one of the elements and driven by a belt serves to rotate the entire unit as the wire is advanced therethrough, thereby subjecting it to a universal bending action which is efiective to remove all bends which were in the wire when it entered the apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will more clearly appear from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1' is a plan view, partly in section, of a wire-straightening apparatus embodying the features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central vert cal section, partly in elevation. of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sections taken on the lines 33 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing and moreparticularly to Fig. 2. a base is indicated at H), to opposite ends of which are attached vert cal standards II and I2 provided at their upper ends with Secured to the standards II and I2 by screws !4 and having reduced portions thereof entered in the openings l3 are externally shouldered bearing members I 5 supporting radial ball bearing assemblies ll, which rotatably support surrounding internally and outwardly shouldered tubular heads l8 and I3 having aligned openings 20 and 2|, respectively. The inner and outer ball races are press fitted into the member? and the heads I8 and I9, respectively. The heads [8 and H! are interconnected by a tubular member 24, which is fixed to rotate therewith by radially directed pins 25. Enclosed in the tubular member 24 is' a circular bar 26, which is secured f,or rotation with the members by radially directed pins 21. Press fitted into the aligned openings l3 of the members l5 and the openings 20 and 2| of the heads l8 and I9 and rotatable therewith are externally shouldered sleeves 28 and 29.

Formed in the bar 26 throughout its length is a radially directed slot 32 having its inner end wall 33 in alignment with openings 34 in the sleeves 28 and 29. Entered in the aligned sleeve openings 34 and the bar slot 32 is a flexible tube 35 of a well-known construction comprising inner and outer interlocked spiral layers of material, preferably metal. Entered in the slot 32 are spaced abutments or shoes 35 and 31, the shoe 36 being pinned, as indicated at 40. to the left end of the bar 26 (Fig. 2), and the shoe 3! being mounted for longitudinal adjustment along the slot at the right end thereof. For the purpose of accurately guiding the shoe 31 along a fixed path, it is formed with opposite key formations 4|, which ride in keyways 42 provided in opposite walls of the slot. The bottom faces of the shoes 36 and 31 at their inner opposed ends are suitably curved, as indicated at 43 and 44. respectively, for engagement with the tube 35 for a purpose which will be presentlydescribed. At its upper end, the shoe 3! is provided with a pair of spaced ears 41, which project through a longitudinally extending slot 48 formed in the tubular member 24. The right end of the member 24 is provided with a peripheral screw thread 49 and threaded thereonto is an adjustable collar 50 having a plurality of laterally extending apertures 5|, in the present embodiment spaced apart, the collar being entered between the shoe ears 41. A cotter pin 54 entered in. aligned apertures in the ears 41 and one of the apertures 5| of the collar 50 serves to retain the shoe 3! and collar in their adjusted position longitudi nally of the flexible tube 34.

To adjust the shoe 3! to another position, the cotter pin 54 isremoved and the collar 50 rotated one way or the'other, which will cause the shoe to move longitudinally of the tube 35. When the adjustment is completed, the cotter pin" 54 slot, 2, flexible tube having its is replaced in the aligned apertures in the ears and the collar. Threaded into the bar 26 opposite the slot 32 and intermediate the shoes 36 and 31 is an adjustable screw 55, which, at its inner end, extends into the slot and engages the flexible tube 35 to bend it laterally into the slot out of alignment with and eccentric to its opposite aligned ends. Portions of the tube 35 at each side of the screw 55 and opposite thereto are then pressed into engagement with the curved bottom faces 43 and 44 and the shoes 36 and 31, respectively, the tube being bent or curved to a sinusoidal-like shape between the shoes. After the flexible tube 35 has been bent out of alignment with its opposite ends carried in the sleeves 28 and shape thereto to suit the particular wire to be straightened, which it will be obvious can be readily effected by adjusting the shoe 31 longitudinally of the tube and the screw laterally thereof in the manner previously described, the ends of the tube are fixed to the sleeves by clamping split heads 56 of the sleeve to the tube ends by means of screws 51. The length of the tube 35 is such that in all possible shapes it may be adjusted to, it extends outwardly slightly from the split clamping heads 56. Thus, an advancing wire to be straightened, indicated at 58, bears solely on the wall of the tube, which can be readily replaced due to wear thereon. Fixed t the head I 8 by a set screw 59 is a pulley 50, which is driven by a belt 6| receiving motion from a suitable source (not shown).

In the use of the apparatus, the wire 58, which is to be straightened, is led from its supply and threaded through the flexible tube 35 and connected to a take-up device. With the wire 58 advancing through the apparatus at a suitable speed and the rotatable unit of the apparatus, including the flexible tube 35, rotating at a suitable speed, the wire is subjected to a universal bending action, which is effective to remove all bends or' irregularities therein from straightness 29 to provide the desired which were in the wir when it entered the apparatus.

From the foregoing description, it will be ap-- parent that a simple and practicable wirestra ghtening apparatus is provided employing a flexible rotating straightening tubein which the amplitude of the eccentric bent portion intermediate its ends may be readily varied to suit the whereby they rotate in unison, said connecting means having a laterally extending longitudinal opposite ends communicating with and axially connected to said sleeves for rotation therewith, said tube between said sleeves being entered in said slot and bodily a sinusoidal-like shape out said sleeves, the wire being curved laterally to of alignment with ing with said abutments for advanced through said tube, spaced abutments in said slot engaging portions of the tube, means adjustable on said connecting means and operatively engaging one of said abutments for moving the same longitudinally of said slot, and means arranged between said abutments and cooperating with said connecting means for maintaining the tube curved.

2. An apparatus for straightening wire comprising a cylindrical element having a radial slot, a flexible tube in said slot, means for rotating said element with the ends of the tube coincident with the axis of rotation, an intermediate portion of the tube being in curved form, abutments in opposite ends of said slot having curved faces engaging spaced portions of the tube, a rotatably mounted gitudinally of and surrounding said element and operatively engaging one of said abutments for moving the same longitudinally of said slot, and said element intermediate the prising a cylindrical element having a radial slot,

axis of rotation, portion of the tube being in curved form, an abutment fixed in one end of said slot, a second abutment in the opposite end of and movable along a fixed path longitudinally of said slot, said abutments having curved faces engaging spaced portions of the tube, means for adjusting said second abutment, and means intermediate the abutments and engaging the opposite side of the tube cooperating with said abutments for maintaining the tube in engagement with said abutments in predetermined curved form in the slot. V

4. An apparatus for straightening wire comprising a cylindrical element having a radial slot, a sleeve fixed to and surrounding said element, a flexible tube in said slot, means'for rotating said element and sleeve with the ends of the tube coincident with the axis of rotation, an intermediate portion of the tube form, an abutment fixed in one end of said slot.

a second abutment in the opposite end of and. movable along a fixed path longitudinally of said 7 slot, said abutments having curved faces engaging spaced portions of the tube, a collar screw threaded onto and adjustable along said sleeve, said second abutment having portion extending through a slot in said sleeve and operatively connected to said collar efiective for adjusting said second abutment upon rotation of said collar, means for retaining said collar their adjusted positions, and means extending through an opening in said sleeve and carried by saidelement intermediate the abutments and engaging the opposite side of the tube cooperatin engagement with said abutments inpredetermined curved form in the slot.

AUGUST WENNERBERG.

member bodily movable lonbeing in curved and abutment in maintaining the tube V 

